MENIFEE: Spotlight shines on Motor Madness

It rolled into town only three years ago, but already the car
show known as Menifee Motor Madness has become a fixture on the
city's community calendar and one of the most popular events of the
year.

Whenever city officials talk about annual events in the city,
Motor Madness is right up there with the Independence Day
celebration in late June and the city's birthday celebration in
October.

The car show returns for its third year at Mt. San Jacinto
College from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Plenty of food, special
guests and live entertainment will be featured, along with lots of
old cars.

"It has become a signature event in the city," said Chuck Cena,
Motor Madness co-chairman. "That first year we expected to get
maybe 50 cars and instead we got about 225."

Although there is no admission charge for spectators, the event
has become the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Menifee
Rotary Club. About 70 percent of the money raised from car
registrations, vendor fees, and sponsorships will go to local
charities and the rest will go to national and international
causes.

"I was involved with the Temecula Road Run during the early
1990s and when the Rotary Club wanted an event to raise more funds,
we decided to start a car show," Cena said. "It was something we
knew how to do and it was a unique event to Menifee."

This year, between 2,000 and 3,000 visitors are expected to stop
by and check out between 200 and 300 cars, all built before 1974.
Cars still can be entered in the show for a $35 fee early on the
day of the event, and up to 30 trophies will be handed out.

Cal Crosby, the event's other co-chairman, said that although he
is still fielding inquiries, Motor Madness will probably attract
about 20 vendors, including at least five food booths.

Other attractions will be nationally known country singer
Michelle Ross, along with her band, and drag-racing champion and
crew chief Dale Armstrong.

Once again, the city of Menifee will be one of the title
sponsors, paying $3,000 to help the Rotary cause and in turn
sponsoring a booth where gifts will be offered for donations to the
city's Veterans Memorial Fund.

"We call this a city signature event," said Rob Johnson, senior
management analyst for the city. "The Rotary Club pitched the idea
to us three years ago and because it's a regional event we
definitely wanted go into partnership with them."

Motor Madness will kick off with a pancake breakfast from 6:30
to 9:30 a.m. Cars will be on display in the Mt. San Jacinto College
parking lot at Antelope and La Piedra roads.